DRI - it is advantageous to deposit home resort week/points to Club Select -I say no!

[seema]

I have the privilege of depositing my non-Diamond resort weeks into Club Select. I own a Marriott week at Ko Olina - I would never deposit that into DRI Club Select. I own a 4 bedroom week at Westgate Lakes Resort in Orlando - it can be split into a 2 bedroom, plus 1 studio, plus 1 studio units. I can get 9000 points this way.

A few things I have learned: for the direct Westgate to II deposit, I can deposit one year in advance (let us say for the 2013 year), and request for a week during a 3 year window - ie 1 yr in advance and 2 yrs following the dates of the deposited week (it is a fixed week).

If I deposit the Westgate week into Club Select, I guess it would take at least 3 months (if not more?), to be deposited into my DRI account. So, let us say it is deposited by the end of this calendar year (ie 2012). Practically speaking, I can use my points for the (as an example) for 2013 and 2014 - only a 2 year window (not a 3 year window?) - whether the points are used for DRI or II bookings.

If I deposit my 4 bedroom week from Westgate directly to II, then the booked weeks are more valuable than if I deposited 9000 points with DRI Club Select and then and going back to II to find a nonDRI resort.

For example, I get 9000 DRI points for depositing my 4 bedroom Westgate unit with DRI. If I wanted a 3 bedroom unit at the same resort (ie Westgate Lakes) at the end of April, it would cost me 10,000 DRI points (ie the 4 bedroom unit would not get me a 3 bedroom unit in exchange, through DRI points!). However, if I deposit the 4 bedroom unit to II directly (after splitting the unit into a 2 bedroom unit, studio unit, and second studio unit), a studio unit can pull the 3 bedroom unit (if done online, through my II account) - this advantageous exchange can take place, because units in Orlando at the end of April (post-spring break) are in extremely low demand (for exchange).

So the question is, unless one needs extra points for a DRI reservation, it does not pay to deposit one's nonDRI resort week or points to Club Select.

 

[nightnurse613]

It looks like everyone thinks your answer is the obvious one but, for the record, I would agree. Depending on your elite membership status and the number of points you own, there's not much sense to deposit these into the DRI Club Select. Even without the deposit you can still get CS weeks by paying cash. Unless the deposit gives you a membership benefit you desperately need I would avoid depositing your week. I deposited a couple of my weeks and discovered, as you did, that I couldn't even get back into my resort!!??

 

[seema]

It looks like everyone thinks your answer is the obvious one but, for the record, I would agree. Depending on your elite membership status and the number of points you own, there's not much sense to deposit these into the DRI Club Select. Even without the deposit you can still get CS weeks by paying cash. Unless the deposit gives you a membership benefit you desperately need I would avoid depositing your week. I deposited a couple of my weeks and discovered, as you did, that I couldn't even get back into my resort!!??

Thank you, for your response.

I am just a basic (non-elite) DRI member. How does the level of elite status impact the usefulness of depositing points into DRI Club Select?

 

[fluke]

Club Select

I am the lowest level of elite (silver) and I don't believe that I get any benefits from depositing or otherwise specifically using club select.

But when I use points in the club I do get an upgrade for a single reservation twice a year. I assume that is what was meant - that you can make those points you receive from club select appear larger with the upgrade.

At silver this costs $99 dollars and bumps you up to the next category (what that is differs a little at each resort but usually it is the next most expensive thing on the points charts). If you play the right resort and the right units you can bump up a significant amount of points. Of course it doesn't always work as both categories of rooms (both what you are booking and what you upgrade to ) must be available. And of course you can only do it on the phone. Also it is a flat fee per reservation so you can maximize it if you are booking 2 or 3 weeks.

All that being said I own 2 Marriott Hawaii weeks that I registered for club select a few years ago and I would never deposit them in club select.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

It depends on the situation and circumstances. Once deposited into Club Select, the points become just like any other non-home resort advantage. So if it works for you to do last minute travel, you can take advantage of the 50% off and turn that week into two weeks. You can save the points to the next year. You can use them in II, where all exchanges are the same number of points and a DRI exchange will pull amost anything in the II pool.

We have a week that we can use in Club Select, SFX, TPI, HTSE, or VRI*ety. What we do with it depends on our plans, and iwe've made use of every one of those options at one time or another.